


I Don’t Need a Shrink

by Crystalloganberry



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, avengers endgame - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-01-31 09:20:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21443863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystalloganberry/pseuds/Crystalloganberry
Summary: Reader is Steve Rodgers’ granddaughter and when he takes her to meet his old friends (minutes after the scene from endgame) she doesn’t understand why his “old friends” are so young, especially his friend from before the war, Bucky Barnes, whom the reader thinks is very handsome but also in need of a lot of emotional help. Good for both of them that she’s a therapist
Relationships: Bucky Barnes - Relationship, Bucky/reader, Winter Soldier x Reader, bucky x reader - Relationship, post endgame - Relationship, steve Rodgers! Grandfather, therapist reader - Relationship
Comments: 8
Kudos: 54





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

As long as you could remember, your grandpa was constantly telling you about his best friend, Bucky. He had pictures and stories that painted this amazing picture in your head. Stories of them fighting in the war and living together. This man was the most amazing human to walk this earth in your grandfather's eyes. 

Growing up, all you had was your grandparents. Your father abandoned your mother as soon as he found out about you, your mother died during childbirth. Your grandpa was the one to step up and take care of you since the days after you were born. Granted he was always strong and looked a lot younger than his age. 

Then when your grandma died it was just you and your grandpa Steve. Yet, he always knew how to live life to the fullest, taking you to carnivals, movies, and even teaching you how to dance while playing records off his old record player on Sunday afternoons. 

One thing was for sure about your grandpa was that he held many secrets. He always seemed to know things would happen before they happened. He also never let you ask too much or talk about what he did during the war. He always seemed to push off the topic or give really vague answers. You've even tried to ask him how he was so strong as a young man and he would just tell you that war does that to people. 

On this particular Sunday afternoon, he was especially excited. You had just graduated out of college, with a PhD in Psychiatry, and were home to take care of him and go out for a fun weekend. 

"Y/n, this is a very special weekend," Grandpa Steve said as he brewed up a pot of coffee for the two of you. "I heard some of my old friends were in town and I'd like for you to meet some of them." 

"Friends from where?" You asked him as you stood in the doorframe to the kitchen, still in your pajamas and hair messy from the night before. 

"Just some old work friends. You'll probably get to meet Bucky as well." Now that had you confused. 

"I thought you said Bucky died…" you trailed off, not wanting to sound too weirded out by that.

"I had thought you listened to my stories closer then that…" your grandpa stifled a laugh as he pulled out your coffee cup from the cupboard. "I thought he had died during the war, in fact I saw him fall of the train. But, he was actually captured by the Russians and I didn't see him for many years." He continued to speak as he poured you a cup of coffee. 

"In my history classes they said Russians experiments on people during World War 2. Was he one of them?" You asked and your grandpa flinched for a second.

"Somewhat… When they found him they had to amputate his arm and they gave him a metal one, but they also forced him to fight for them." You nodded as you got out the creamer for your own coffee from the fridge. 

"Where are we meeting your friends?" You asked, pouring creamer into your coffee and taking a sip from it as you turned to look at your grandpa. 

"You'll see."

~

A few hours later you stood next to a small lake, your grandpa had brought a big bag with him. You were confused about why you were here of all places but your grandpa sat down on a small bench and just looked out on to the lake in silence.

After a few minutes you hear some men talking, a mechanical zap and some worried clicking. You tried to look but you couldn't see where the noises were coming from exactly. Then a sudden "Steve" beside your grandpa revealed two young and handsome men. One being a good looking black man and the other a pale, long haired man who had his hands shoved in his pockets. The black man walked forward towards your grandpa.

"So, did something go wrong or did something go right?" He asked as he stood beside the bench, obviously not noticing you a few feet away. 

"After I returned the stones I thought maybe I'd try some of that life that Tony was telling me to get." Your grandpa said as he looked up to his friend. 

"How'd that work out for ya?" The man asked as he crossed his arms across his chest. Your grandpa seemed to smile fondly at the thought. 

"It was beautiful." He sighed and glanced back across the water. 

"I'm happy for you, truly." The man paused for a second. "The only thing bumming me out is that I have to live in a world without Captain America." You furrowed your eyebrows at the words. Captain America was some guy who fought in World War 2 and was some genetically engineered super soldier they used as propaganda. Why would he imply that had something to do with your grandpa?

As you thought to yourself they exchanged some more conversation and your grandpa seemed to pull something from the bag beside him. You watched as he pulled out none other than Captain America's shield. He handed it to the man and they exchanged some more words before your grandpa looked to you. You stood further down towards the water from them. 

Both men seemed to follow his gaze to see you standing by the water. Your grandpa beckoned you up towards him with a wave of his hand. You walked up towards the men with a small smile on your face. 

"Y/n, this is Sam and Bucky. Sam, Bucky, this is my Granddaughter, y/n." They must've looked just as confused as you did in that moment. The man he introduced as Sam reached out a hand to greet you, but Bucky just stared at you, confused. 

"I definitely thought you guys would be a bit older from what grandpa has told me about you… I mean at least what he's said about you." You gestured to Bucky, who has yet to say a word. 

"Buck, greet my poor granddaughter won't you?" Your grandpa joked to the man. As he took a few steps closer you could see how nicely his beard and his long hair framed his face, and how piercing his blue eyes were. Black and white photos did nothing for how beautiful this man was up close. He took your hand into his to give you a firm yet gentle handshake. 

"Sorry, this is just a really… surprising situation for all of us I think." Bucky apologized and sent your grandpa an odd look. 

"I used to think you were good with girls. Is my granddaughter excluded from that equation?" Steve asked and both you and Bucky turned to him with a questioning glance. Sam snorted out a laugh. 

"You're trying to set up Bucky with your granddaughter?" He asked with a few teasing laughs in between. You and Bucky exchanged a nervous glance. 

"I love you both dearly, but God sakes you're both a lost cause when it comes to getting you to talk." Your grandfather held his hand out for you. You took his hand instinctively and glanced back to his face. "Would you be a dear and humor me?" He asked you quietly. "I have to talk to Sam about some important matters." 

Instinctively you nodded face looked back up to Bucky. Sam moved to sit beside your grandfather. You moved towards Bucky and shoved your hands in your pockets, mirroring the position he was in. After a few seconds Sam turned to you and shooed you along, telling Bucky to "take her around the lake or something". 

Turning, Bucky walked in the opposite direction, you following with a second or two of hesitance. You followed him a few feet behind, hearing him quietly muttering to himself about your grandfather and abandoning him. 

"Maybe I could help with some of your confusion," you offered and he paused to turn and look at you. "I mean… if what your muttering about is what I think it is." 

Bucky sighed. "Why didn't he come back? Why did he stay for some woman he barely knew?" Bucky sounded aggravated as he spoke. 

"You mean Grandma?...Peggy?" You asked him, finally actually looking into his eyes up close for the first time. You started to understand why grandpa always talked about how girls would swoon for him. Those eyes were intoxicating… and those strong arms, at least what you could see from under his sweatshirt. "Did you not like her?" You asked after your momentary admiration. 

"She was just some woman that Steve fell for during the war. How he was able to get and keep just one woman is beyond me." Bucky muttered the second part mostly to himself. 

"Well weren't you a ladies man before the war? Now you can barely talk to your friends Granddaughter?" You mocked the voice of your grandpa in a teasing manner. Bucky didn't smile or laugh but he stared at you blankly instead, which in your case you were just happy he wasn't mad. 

After catching his blank stare you looked at the ground, catching a glance of something shiny right on the end of Bucky's sleeve on his left arm. Then you remembered what your grandpa had told you about Bucky being captured by the Russians and the experiments and such. It clicked in his head that why he acted so closed off and different then how your grandfather talked about him. 

"I have a question, Bucky," You looked back up at him, not quite sure how to approach it from this perspective. He nodded for you to continue. "Have you ever been to a therapist?" You tried to ask carefully. He furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head, some of his hair falling onto his face. He pulled his right hand out to fix it quickly. 

"Why would I go to some shrink? I don't have the time and I don't need it." His face contorted in the face that told you exactly what you needed to know. 

"Everyone needs someone to talk to… and I would love to talk to you more about what's on your mind." You said, confused by your own sudden confidence. His eyes widened, realizing what he had just said, scared he offended you. "I just got a job with an office and I would gladly see you if you ever change your mind about us shrinks." You joked with a small smile, reaching into your phone case to grab your business card and hand it to him.

Before he could speak more, your phone started ringing, your grandpa probably calling to tell you he was ready to go. You answered the phone quickly then moved to start walking back towards where your grandpa was. You weren't sure if Bucky was behind you until your turned your head. He wasn't following you, so you sighed and walked back to your grandpa. You helped your grandpa up and shook Sam's hand goodbye. 

You couldn't help but think about Bucky and how quiet he was, how he seemed to just be very observant, how his hair framed his face perfectly and how soft it looked. Lastly you thought about those eyes. How they seemed to do all his talking for him.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It had been about a month and a half since you'd met Bucky and Sam. Your grandpa had Sam over a couple times, where they mostly talked about you and Grandma. You tend to stay in your room and continue your work of the few clients you had; a couple teenagers with anxiety, a poor woman who has postpartum depression after having her baby, and a man who has PTSD after coming home from the airforce. 

You saw a lot of symptoms of PTSD in Bucky as well. You sat at your desk in your office, writing out some notes about your last session until your next one. You had a new client who only write out a sloppy name that you interpreted as James or Jones. You checked the clock, about 10 minutes until your appointment. 

You got up and ran to the bathroom, cleaning yourself up and relieving yourself. Usually with first sessions they didn’t last too long, not many people were ready to talk about their deepest fears on the first day. You fixed your hair and pushed your glasses up. Taking a deep breath, you walked back out from the bathroom and to your office.

As you walked in, you saw none other then Bucky sitting on your couch. You were taken back for a second before smiling and shutting your door behind you. "I thought you didn't want a shrink." You teased him softly and walked to your desk, grabbing your new notepad. You had a different one for each patient, so you didn't have to go searching through other people's notes in front of your clients. 

"I’m desperate." Bucky said softly and looked down to the ground. He finally had his hands out of his hoodie, but he was wearing a long sleeve shirt and a glove on his left hand. "I've had bad nightmares and I can't sleep at all." Bucky began to explain as you took your seat on the chair opposite the couch he was on. You began to jot some notes down before crossing your legs and nodding.

"What do your nightmares consist of?" You asked and looking up at him. The bags under his eyes were pronounced and he sounded tired. His hair was also stringy and he just seemed exhausted, like he couldn’t even blink without putting up a guard. 

"I wake up almost every night to the thought of killing innocent people just because I was told to." You, again, jotted down a couple more things before thinking for a second. 

"And these are flashbacks from the war?" You asked and he nodded. He seemed closed off, which you expected because in most cases it was triggering for a veteran to think too hard about what they were forced to do during a war time. You weren’t trying to push him too hard but you soon realized you might’ve. His leg began bouncing and he looked down to his hands, hair falling in his face as he thought. 

“What’s your favorite memory with my grandpa?” You asked him suddenly, trying to break his thoughts from whatever it was trailing into. He stopped his leg shaking for a second and moved to push his hair out of his face. 

“When we were kids he used to get sick all the time,” Bucky began and his face became calm as he recalled the fond memory. “Durin’ the winter he would steal all the blankets we had in the apartment and just sorta make a caccoon out of everything in the living room because he would get so cold.” You smiled at Bucky as he began to actually warm up to talking. 

“What was your favorite thing to do before the war?” You asked and put your pen into the corner of your book to engage him more. 

“I us’ta take Stevie to Coney Island. He could never ride any of the rides but he loved the cotton candy.” Bucky seemed to have a small smile on his face. You were glad that he seemed more calm around you then when you two first met. 

The two of You continued to talk for a while, mostly about Bucky’s life before the war. What you had gotten from the discussion was that any memories after the war were somewhat triggering for Bucky. You tried to very gently work your way up the timeline through only positive memories with him. They all stopped before his accident though. 

~~

Later that night you sat in the living room, drinking some coffee as you stared at the notes you took during your session with Bucky, and some old photos you found of Grandpa Steve and Bucky together. You had to admit that Bucky was very cute looking, both then and now, but as much as the long hair looked nice, the short cut he used to have made him look so charming. 

You sighed as you recalled the session, thinking about all of his mannerisms and triggers. At the end of the session, you had given him your cell phone number in case of emergency. (You had actually put it in for him because he was too confused by the phone). As your eyes began to droop while staring at the photos, your grandfather shuffled into the living room. 

“Y/n? What are you still doing awake?” He asked and walked towards the couch you were sitting on. You sat up and made room for him to sit beside you. 

“Looking at some old pictures, trying to understand more about Bucky.” You sighed as you looked at the same picture of them that you’d been staring at for the past hour or so. It was Bucky with his arm around Steve’s shoulder, both smiling brightly as the rides and lights of Coney Island shone behind them. 

“If you want to get a good understanding of him you have to make him comfortable.” Steve said as took the picture from your hands. “But the way your mind thinks the best is when you have plenty of sleep.” You rolled your eyes and let out a small laugh. 

“Fine, let’s get to bed.” You stretched and stood up, helping your grandpa up with you. You walked him back to his room and walked into your own.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It had been about a month or so of Bucky coming in to your work almost every couple days. You stayed mainly on the topic of happy memories leading up to the war, with a couple bad days here or there where you two talked about the war or the Russians. Then came the day that you didn’t have him scheduled. 

You sat at your desk and thought to yourself in silence. One of your teenagers was starting to worry you more about how anxious and depressed he was getting. Then came the knock on your door. You jumped a little but looked to the door. There Bucky stood with a nervous look on his face. “Hey, Buck, I don’t think you’re scheduled to see me today.” You said and closed your note pad from your other patient.

“I-I’m not… I wanted to ask you a question.” Bucky seemed more nervous as you saw his arms moving behind his back nervously. You became quickly concerned thinking the worst. You nodded for him to continue. “Would you like to come out with me for dinner after work?” He asked as he pulled out the object from behind his back. 

Flowers… you were honestly shocked. Bucky hadn’t even truly smiled around you yet. You slowly reached your hand out to take them. Your hand brushed against the cool metal of his exposed hand. Many thoughts flowed through your head. First was your job, then your grandpa, then finally Bucky. 

“Bucky…” you paused as your phone buzzed and you glanced at the message on your watch as the message flashed across it. ‘Be kind to him’ your grandpa’s message stated. ‘You know how fragile he is’ his response to the conversation you had been having with him earlier about Bucky. “I’d love to. I’ll just have to stop home and change after work.”

Bucky’s shoulders relaxed and you saw a smile start to form. This relaxed you as well. He glanced down to the ground happily and exhaled out a breath he might’ve been holding. “I do have someone about to come in though, so I’ll call you when I get out of work.” You said, looking down to the flowers then smiling back to Bucky. He nodded and turned to walk out of the room. 

Walking back to your desk, you set the flowers down and grabbed a cup you had under your desk that you had forgotten to bring home. You poured some water in it from your water bottle and placed the flowers in it and set them on the desk. 

~~

Pacing around your living room, you stared at the clock on the wall as your grandfather watched you walk back and forth in front of him. “I promise you it’s not worth worrying this much about. He just wants to take you out as a thank you for helping him.” His eyes followed you as you sighed, but continued pacing. 

“Yes but…” you sighed and looked at grandpa Steve. “I don’t know if I want this to go well or not. On one hand, if it goes well, I have to stop being his therapist officially and either find him another one or do unpaid visits.” You stopped pacing and looked at your grandfather in defeat. “But… I don’t want it to go badly because it could trigger him and he could get upset at me or at you. He’d never trust a therapist again. I also… just can’t handle another bad date. I need one to stick.”

Steve adjusted in his seat and looked at you while you stared back, pleading for some sort of wise words from him. You were dressed up, wearing a nice blue flowy dress, short sleeves in a wrapped style that reached right above your knees. Your hair was pulled back into a nicer updo with some strands of hair falling to frame your face. Steve couldn’t help but notice how much you looked like your mother and your grandmother. He sighed as he thought about his answer.

“You should take this as a moment to relax and enjoy yourself. You don’t get many moments alone to go out with someone of your choosing.” You sat beside your grandfather's chair, on the couch. “I trust Bucky, and I think you should have a good night out. Best situation comes, you can always help Bucky here. I’m sure he won’t mind seeing me more. He’s been my best friend for years anyways.” 

As you opened your mouth to respond, the doorbell rang and both your grandpas and your head turned to the front door. “I’m coming to see him. Help me up.” Your grandpa held out his hand for you and you stood to help him. You walked with him to the door and opened it. 

There Bucky stood, his hair pulled back into a low bun, a nice button down and some dark colored pants on. You noticed he also had his leather glove on, covering his hand as usual. His facial hair was also trimmed differently from how it was earlier in the day. 

“Buck…” Grandpa Steve started to speak. Bucky stared directly at you though, seemingly admiring how you looked before pulling his eyes away and looking to your grandfather. He moved towards him and slowly took him into a hug. “Treat her well.” Was what you could make out your grandfather whispered to Bucky. 

After Bucky let your grandfather go, he turned to you and reached out his right hand to you. You took it and turned to kiss your grandpa's cheek goodbye. Bucky led you to a black car that was parked behind yours in the driveway. You tried your best to relax yourself as he opened the passenger seat door for you. You thanked him and climbed inside, setting your purse on your lap. 

Overall the ride was pretty quiet other than Bucky telling you that you looked nice and you joking that it’s definitely nicer than you dressed for work. You had to keep reminding yourself that this was supposed to be fun and relaxing. 

The car had pulled up to a small local restaurant that you had been to a couple times with some friends from college, but you usually came for breakfast after a long night of drinking. He once again opened your door and took your hand to help you out. 

As you two sat across from each other you stared at your menu in silence. A million different scenarios were playing in your head of how this date could go wrong, you almost didn’t realize that the waiter was waiting for you to order. You stated your order quickly before handing the menu to the waiter and continuing your downward glance. 

“Is the table shiny or somethin’?” Bucky’s voice broke your stare as you looked up to him. “You seem real intent on starin’ at it.” You cracked a small smile at Bucky and readjusted in your seat. 

“I’m sorry Bucky… I’m just a bit nervous. I haven’t been on a date since junior year of college so…” you trailed off and placed your hands on the table. “I just don’t want this date to go poorly. And I don’t quite know what to talk about.” 

“What if you tell me about your own childhood. You've heard plenty about mine.” Bucky joked, the corner of his lips lifting into a half-assed smile.

~~

As the night trailed on it seemed to get better. Bucky and you joked around about your grandpa and talked about what it was like for Bucky to learn about his phone and about everything he missed. He even talked about this place he stayed for rehabilitation called Wakanda and how a woman named Shuri taught him about the internet. 

You teased him lightly about being an old man, which probably sounded weird to the people around you, but you quickly forgot about them. Bucky was smiling and talking in a quiet yet confident voice, which was more than how he spoke in your sessions. 

Eventually it got to that point in the night where he drove you home. This was when your body decided to act like the nervous teenager you used to be. He pulled into the drive and helped you out and your stomach began to fill with butterflies.

You knew, being the old fashioned charmer your grandpa told you about, this was the part where Bucky would sweep the woman off her feet, give her “a kiss to brag about” and leave. You stood on your front steps and looked at Bucky. He moved onto the stair with you. During your few seconds of silence, you gently took both of his hands into yours. His gloved hand threatened to pull away but you tightened your hand around his. 

You looked up to him. He wasn’t too much taller than you in heels, but it was definitely going to be different when you weren’t wearing heels. He looked down at you and you both began to move in for a kiss. You were inches… centimeters, you could feel his breath on your lips… then his phone began to ring in his pocket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While writing this chapter it felt a lot longer than it actually is. Sorry. Chapter 4 is in the works


	4. Chapter 4

Bucky sighed and moved back, pulling his phone from his pocket and looking at it. “I have to leave. I’ll see you soon.” He said and leaned down, kissing your cheek and turning to go to his car. 

You walked into the house and your grandpa was standing by the door. He was probably watching you two on the porch. You smiled at him as you set down your bag on the dining room table. 

“So… how was it?" 

"I- it was ok I guess." You smiled at your grandpa as you slipped off your heels. 

"Where is he going?" Your grandfather looked out the front window where Bucky's car was taking off down the street.

"His phone went off…" you turned towards your room. "I'm gonna go to bed… do you need help getting to yours?" Steve shook his head. 

Walking into your room, you tossed your phone on the bed and changed out of your dress into some sleep shorts and a shirt from your laundry basket. You wiped the makeup off your face and pulled your hair up then soon got into bed to check your phone until you fell asleep.

~~

About two days later, you were at work and wrapping up one of your appointments. The woman you were talking to had disappeared during the blip. She had just given birth and her baby did not “blip” with her. Another woman had taken care of her for the years that she was gone. Now this woman had torn feelings about missing her child’s developmental years but also wanting her child to not be torn from their adoptive mother. The two of you were finally working through getting her to bringing up the topic of wanting another child with her husband. 

As soon as she walked out, you sat back at your desk and checked your phone. A text from an unknown number flashed across your screen. You raised an eyebrow and swiped to open it. 

‘This is y/n right? Bucky’s therapist?’ Unknown

You raised your eyebrow, wondering why Bucky would give your number to someone random without telling you.

‘Yes. Can I help you with something?’ You sent.

The next text was an immediate ‘read’ and they began typing immediately. 

‘I’m going to send you an address. Bucky is having a bad episode and you’re the first person I thought to text.’ Unknown

You read that and your mind popped up with a million questions. You’d never seen a “bad episode” with Bucky. At Least you don’t think you did. Nevertheless, you stood up and walked to your coworker’s office. You popped your head into his office and said that you’d be heading out early because you weren’t scheduled for the rest of the day. 

Quickly after, you were driving to this address you were sent. Luckily it wasn’t much more than 20 minutes from your work. After pulling into the driveway, you immediately felt off. There was three cars in the driveway, yet the house itself was so small. 

You grabbed your stuff and walked up to the door. Before you could even knock, the door swung open and you were pulled in by your sleeve. Looking up, you saw none other than Sam, your grandpa's friend. As you looked past him, you saw Bucky and none other than Peter Parker, in his spider man outfit, but his mask was off. 

Peter looked up to you and Bucky barely reacted. "Y/n you really need to help. I think something on his phone triggered him into this. I thought after Shuri got rid of the arm he wouldn't be triggered again." Sam said as he followed you. You walked towards the chair that you soon noticed Bucky was… webbed to. Now you understood why Peter was here. 

As you moved into Bucky's sightline, his focus shifted off of Peter, whom he was glaring at. "Sam, the kind of torture you have to put someone through to be truly brainwashed is not just physical. It's also mental." You sighed and walked a few steps out of reach from Bucky. His eyes followed you, plotting out your every move. "Now, I know you guys keep weapons in the house, those are all secured right?" You turned to look at Sam. 

"I got them all on lock down." A female voice called and you looked to where it came from. A woman with long red hair stood in the doorway to the kitchen. "Wanda." She introduced herself. 

"James, I need to hear me loud and clear." You turned back to Bucky and moved closer towards his seat. Slowly but constant. You reached out your hand and gave him a nod to show him you were going to touch him. "You are not the Winter Soldier. You are James Barnes. I am your therapist. Can I touch you?”

After a few seconds of silence, you let your fingers gently touch the arm of the chair, then slowly move to the metal of his arm. He stared down at your hand as it touched him. “Can you tell me something?” You asked him and he looked back up at your face. 

It was so silent in the room that you could probably hear a pin drop. Bucky slowly opened his mouth and hesitated before he spoke. “Y-your car is blue.” He almost whispered, you were sure none of the others in the room could hear it except for you. “The couch in your office is leather.” Ok so he was visually stimulated into remembering. 

You gently moved your hand to cover his hand. His breath started to slow as everyone relaxed. You thought more on what would bring his mind off of everything else. “What color are the shoes I’m wearing today?” You were sure he couldn’t see them because of your kneeling position. 

“Beige.”

“What color are Sam’s socks?” 

“Dark blue.”

He gently flipped his hand to hold yours. “What’s your name?” You asked him as you moved to stand up.

“Bucky.” There’s where you knew it was him. Yes, the winter soldier was the one that noticed all of the visuals, but you never called him Bucky.

“What time did you pick me up for our date?”

“Six o’clock.” 

“How do you feel?” You gently squeezed his metal hand. Sam, Wanda and Peter exchanged glances, wondering how it was so easy for you to get him out of this. They were probably also wondering when you two went out on a date.

“My head hurts and this web is also a bit tight.” Bucky said in a quiet voice. This queued Peter to move up to help take the web off of him. 

You helped Bucky up once the webbing was off. “Do you want to sleep this off or do you want to talk for a little bit?” You offered and he nodded.

“Can we talk?” He asked softly. You nodded and Sam moved to let Bucky lean on him, putting his arm over Sam’s shoulders. Sam and Bucky lead you towards Bucky’s room so he could lay down. Peter and Wanda stayed behind to clean up the pushed over furniture and webbing from where Peter tried to catch him. 

As you got into Bucky’s room you realized how empty it was. Literally nothing. No pictures, no knick knacks, not even his dirty laundry was sitting out anywhere. Wow his army training definitely influenced this. Sam sat him on the bed and Bucky thanked him and nodded to him. You grabbed the chair that sat in the corner and moved it to sit beside Bucky’s bed.

Bucky leaned forward and put his head in his hands. “Someone sent me an audio of my triggers from your phone number.” Bucky muttered into his hands and raked his fingers through his hair. “It sounded like some random guy.” He said quietly and looked at you. 

“Bucky, it must’ve been someone hacking under my phone number. My phone has been on me, turned off all day.” You said to him. He gently reached out his metal arm to gently touch your hand with his. You took his hand into yours and smiled at him. 

“I’m glad you came. I’ve been meaning to see you, but I’m a bit rusty when it comes to dating and Sam said that there’s a ‘waiting period’ that I shouldn’t talk to you.” Bucky said. “I also don’t think I’m allowed to come to your work now that we went out…” he paused and you let a hum out to urge him to continue. “I didn’t know whether it would be awkward... or if you didn’t want to see me… or if i would get you fired by saying anything about our date. But I don’t know if you noticed that it’s kinda hard for me to not see you.” 

You nodded and rubbed your thumb gently over the warming metal of his arm, due to your own contact. “I want to see you too Buck, however you prefer it. Whether I’m just a therapist, a friend, or more.” He nodded and dropped his head again, yet somehow you caught a glance of his face reddening. 

“I think I’d prefer more.” Bucky muttered. You moved your free hand to gently push up his head with your pointer and middle finger. He moved with you, seemingly surprised by the sudden intimate contact. 

“I would too.” You whispered. “Bucky I want to be here for you emotionally. As long as you promise to stay emotionally open with me. If we move along with… us, you have to agree that you’ll continue to let me help you.” You said and he slowly nodded. You moved your thumb to gently rub along his jaw and chin. 

The both of you were silent for a few seconds before you gently squeezed his hand and whispered some simple yet challenging words. “Can I kiss you?”


	5. Chapter 5

Bucky glanced at your lips then your eyes to see if you were joking. You reinforced your look to show him you were serious. His eyes fluttered shut as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to yours. His free hand wrapped around your forearm of the hand you pressed to his jaw. You closed your eyes and melted into the moment. 

It had been so long since you had anyone kiss you, let alone like this. Sure you had plenty of drunken mistakes in college but no one was ever this heartfelt in the way they kissed. After a few seconds, the door opened to the room and you both pulled back from each other. You turned your head to see Sam in the doorway.

“So… You’re not just his therapist?” Sam asked, eyes looking between you two as you laughed gently. 

“I guess you could say that.” You joked and Sam nodded. 

“I’ll leave you guys to whatever you were doing. I was just gonna ask if you wanted to stay for take out?” Sam directed to you. You looked to Bucky and he nodded. You turned to Sam and gave him the ‘go ahead’ to include you in the plans. 

~~

Bucky let out a relieved sigh, pushing his back against the door after you had just left for the night. Sam stood in the doorway to the front entrance of their shared house. 

“Please don’t start.” Bucky grumbled to Sam.

“How could I not!!” Sam gestured to the door. “You didn’t tell me you were falling for your therapist, let alone the fact that’s Steve’s granddaughter. Is that not weird to you?” He raised his voice in confusion. 

Bucky moved to walk past him to the kitchen. “Yeah it’s a bit weird, but… not counting the time I was the Winter soldier, she's within a not so bad age range…"

"But she’s also your therapist…” Sam added and dropped his shoulders. 

“She’s going to continue helping me off the books. It means that I can see her more often and with less fear of saying too much.” Bucky stated and leaned against the counter in the kitchen, finally turning to look at Sam face to face. “Sam I don’t see why you have such a problem with me finally finding a girl. You’ve been pressuring me for the past… however long… to find one.”

Sam sighed and stood silently for a couple seconds before groaning. “Fine! Just don’t want you guys being all touchy and grope-y in this house.” He turned and walked out to go to his room. “And I’ll be talking to you more about this!” 

Bucky looked down and sighed, a smile pulling up on his cheeks as he recalled the moments between you two just hours before. How you brought him back from his episode, how gentle you were when touching his hand, or his face, how you would ask before touching or kissing him. It all felt so child-like yet so caring. He knows he’d never say no to her kissing or hugging him, yet it felt nice to have his obvious physical boundaries respected. 

He’d always struggled with the thought of being unlovable because of his arm and his PTSD. While in Wakanda, he constantly imagined a world where he could just settle down with a girl and have a White-Picket-fence life, the life that all his friends during the war would talk about. The constant talk about some who got married right before they shipped out to some girl they’d knows for a few weeks, some who wanted to find a sweet gal as soon as they got back and propose to her and start a family as soon as possible. He was never one to even think about settling down with some girl because he would only ever make it to one or two dates and the girls would move on because they weren’t as interested after Bucky and them stopped kissing. Bucky knew it had already been a few months of him seeing you, but he had felt different about you almost from the second he was introduced to you.

As Bucky, trudged up to his room he pulled out the cellular demon machine from his pocket and opened his text conversation from her. Luckily Sam had already deleted the audio file from the conversation, seconds after realizing that Bucky had been triggered. There was an unread text from her that was simply a couple red hearts and a ‘made it home safely’.

~~

Your grandfather could sense from the second you walked in the house that something was different. You set down your bag and turned to where he was sitting in the living room playing some game that you had showed him, along the lines of crossword puzzles, and listening to some news updates on the TV. He stared you down for a solid 10 seconds before opening his mouth to speak.

“What happened?” He set down the phone on his lap.

“What? Nothing.” you looked at him as your phone buzzed and you looked down at it. ‘THAts good. How are you??’ Bucky’s obvious effort to use his phone showing through the text.

“Y/n you know I know when you’re lying to me.” Steve said and crossed his arms awaiting your response.

You took a deep breath and a smile spread on your face. “Bucky and I may or may not be seeing each other.”

A smile spread across your grandpa's face and he pushed up from his seat to pull you into a hug. You grinned and hugged him back. As you were hugging him both of your phones began buzzing. You grabbed yours and slid to answer. It was Bucky's number but not his voice when it began to speak. 

"Y/n you need to get your grandpa to the Avengers Compound as soon as possible. Something went wrong and we need him." It was a woman's voice. 

"Who is this?" You asked and you grandpa looked at you in confusion as you pulled your jacket back on and waved him to do the same. 

"Its Pepper Potts. Something went wrong and we need your grandpa and you here as soon as possible."


	6. Chapter 6

You helped your grandpa out of the car and into this compound that Pepper had sent you. You saw Sam and Bucky standing inside, standing beside some tall and beautiful woman. She met you and your grandfather with an extended hand. "Pepper Potts." She said and you reached out your hand to shake hers. She smiled then turned to hug your grandpa to which he returned with a smile. 

"So, Y/n, we need you to come with me and Bucky, Sam we need you to take care of Steve." Pepper gestured to each person as she spoke. You turned to kiss your grandpa's cheek and then let Sam take him away. 

You began to walk with Pepper and Bucky. Bucky flashed you a small smile and walked beside you. Pepper began to speak as she led the two of you. "So, we realized that Steve may have changed something in the past which is causing things to change here in the future. I believe that he started a second timeline." Pepper led your trio into a conference room where a hologram of news updates flashed across the screen

'Breaking News: people are disappearing again. Is this a Blip part 2?"  
'New family members showing up to families houses claiming to be siblings with no real memories of being related'

You looked between the screen and Pepper. "Why are you telling me this instead my grandpa?" You sat down at one of the chairs. Bucky pulled a chair out beside you and sat down. 

Pepper's eyes flicked from the screen to you with worry. "I'm telling you this because I need you to fix what he did. He did the one thing that we told him not to do which was to change the past."

"I'm not super at all, I hope you know. I have literally no powers whatsoever. Why do you need me?" You asked as your eyes glazed over the images of people disappearing and their family members being confused or sad. 

"Because we need you undercover. We need to send you back to fix your grandpa's mistake. If I sent any of the Avengers, Steve would recognize them and it would raise too many red flags. If I sent anyone not related to him, he would sense them feeling out of place.” Pepper pulled up old pictures of your grandpa as she talked. “Now basically, you know enough of your grandpa's stories and Bucky was there, so we’ll put him in a remote location and he’ll tell you where to be and when.” 

You opened your mouth to ask a question as she started speaking again. “Keep in mind, this is when your grandfather's senses were at their peak. If you raise any questions, they will suspect you of being a spy and that is the worst possible outcome of this situation.” Pepper turned to you as you stared at the holograms of drawn out plans for avoiding Steve. You sat in silence and started to think about this situation you had gotten into. Bucky slowly took your hand into his to break you out of your stare.

“I’ll be there with you… I know it’s a lot to ask but we can’t think of anyone else to go.” Bucky said to you quietly. “You can trust me to keep you safe and under control.” He said to you softly. You look up at him and after a couple seconds, nodded at him.

~~

A few days later, you stood in a big warehouse looking area of the compound. Your grandfather was in some other room with old friends who tried to get specific last minute details from him. You were going through last minute checks on this new suit and technology attached to you. Bucky stood across from you, his hair freshly cut from its long style back to the shorter style he had during the war. Your own hair had been styled as other women had during the 40s. You had a change of clothes to get into immediately as soon as you get to your secured location. 

“So, y/n, you have your mission in your case, but you need to remember that both Steve and Bucky are there in the past. The Bucky that you will see walking around will not be present day, so do not talk to him.” Pepper explained as Bruce stood before you and Bucky, slipping a glove over Bucky’s hand that slowly morphed color to match his natural skin tone, successfully camouflaging it. 

Pepper pressed a small ear bud into your ear and you took a deep breath, hearing Bucky seconds after, more amplified as he spoke into his own com. “You ready?” He asked you as Bruce and Pepper walked off the platform. You moved forward and gently took his hand into yours as a mask slipped over both of your faces individually. You looked at your hands and picked up your case in the free one. Eyes flashed up to meet his with a smile.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” You said as Bruce counted down faintly in your ears. Suddenly your chest felt tight and you squeezed Bucky’s hand as the lights around you began to light up, mechanical whirring grew louder around you until you were suddenly pulled into a vortex-looking tunnel that pulled your bodies through the mazes of colors and tunnels quicker and quicker until suddenly you feet were planted on the ground and you just about fell over before Bucky caught your body and helped you stand properly. 

You looked around the two of you. It was dark outside but you could still see a small camp illuminated through a wall of trees about a hundred feet away. You heard voices and music playing as you continued to turn as you pulled in the sights around you. You saw a small shelter that looked as if it was for supplies or vehicles. Bucky tugged your arm to lead you quietly towards the supply building. 

As you two walked inside, you noticed that there was barely anything in there other than some garbage and extra supplies if needed. In the far back of the shelter was a single tank that looked as if was being pulled apart just to repair other tanks. Same with a terrain vehicle. Bucky lead you to an area behind the vehicles and into a back room. He placed his own case on an old desk in the room. 

“You change now. I’m going to set up my computer back here because this shelter is basically abandoned.” Bucky explained as he turned his back to you so you could begin to change. Now when they told you the uniform that you’d be wearing, you had researched how to put it on, yet still didn’t have too good of a grasp on how to do so. You pulled on the stockings, skirt, and button down, but you were a lost cause when it came to the tie. 

“Hey Buck…” You said to him as you tucked in your shirt to your skirt. “Can you help me with the tie?” You asked and he turned slowly to make sure you were changed before turning completely and taking the tie from your hands. He walked behind you and tied it around your neck from over your shoulder. He paused for a second after finishing it as if thinking. Then seconds later he placed a small kiss to your cheek and you began to blush with a small smile on your face. 

“Now, do you remember your story?” Bucky asked as he walked back around you to hand you your jacket from your case. You nodded as you slipped your arms into the sleeves of the coat and pulled it on over your shoulders. 

“I’m Agent Jane Harvey, sent by the 115th to study under Agent Peggy Carter and to learn the best strategy to bring to my own company to aid in the effort for the war.” You said and Bucky handed you the folder of documents that Pepper had faked to help them believe your story more. The actual Jane Harvey was an Agent who had gone missing on her trip to the 107th to do this exact mission, so you didn’t have to do much convincing because they were already expecting you. 

“You think you can handle this?” Bucky asked and placed his hands on your upper arms comfortingly as you buckled and buttoned your coat, his hands eventually moving to straighten your tie and fix your coat as you pinned your hair up into your hat. You nodded silently at his question before leaning forward and kissing his lips quickly. 

“As long as I have you with me I believe I can.” You said quietly and he smiled as you placed your hands on his cheeks, this physical closeness and intimacy helping to slow your speeding heart rate. “Just don’t forget to keep talking to me.” You said as you walked out the doorway and snatched up a pack of all your necessities that were luckily in this supply shelter already.

You sent Bucky one last wink before pulling a lipstick out of your pocket and applying it quickly as you walked up to the line of trees. Bucky began to speak into your ear. “Please don’t forget your glasses. I can’t see where you’re going without them.” He said and you put your lipstick back into your pocket and pulled the glasses out, pushing them up the bridge of your nose and gently holding the button on the outside to be sure they were on. Seconds later Bucky gave you the confirmation that he saw where you were. 

You followed his directions past the dining tent and towards Peggy's quarters. “Remember she should be expecting you so just call her through the tent before opening.” Bucky reminded and you nodded as you got to the entrance of her tent. This was when you heard quiet talking from inside the tent. You recognized your grandma Peggy and that of your grandfather. 

“Bucky, Steve is in there. I can’t go in.” You whispered and Bucky paused for a second to think. 

“It’ll look weirder if you don’t go in then if you do.” Bucky said through the com before continuing his thought. “Just remember to announce your arrival and yourself. Shake both of their hands. For the love of god don’t call them grandma or grandpa.” Bucky said and you took a deep breath. 

“Agent Carter?” You questioned out loud through the doorway. “May I come in?” You asked and the flap to the doorway was pushed aside. Standing right before you was Your grandpa Steve, just like he looked in all the photo albums, taller than you thought and definitely not as happy and welcoming as he was as your grandpa. That was all before a wide smile crossed his face and he extended a hand. 

“Captain Rodgers. And you are?” He said and you extended your hand to take his. This felt so weird to be introducing yourself to your own your grandpa. Although it wasn’t actually you, it was Jane. Thank god you did theatre in high school. Remember this is just like improv

“Agent Jane Harvey of the 115th. I’m here to see Agent Carter.” You said and he released your hand from his surprisingly strong and warm hand. Peggy stood behind him, her hand now extended to you. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Agent, I really admire your strength and intelligence.” You said as you looked at her. 

Growing up, she always looked so much older than your grandfather. She looked so youthful now, yet worry lines crossed her forehead, the same lines you would see when you would get injured playing in the backyard or would come to her crying about boys who broke your heart. You began to really miss her, your heart starting to ache, before you realized she had asked you about your trip and was waiting for your response.

“oh I’m sorry… the trip here went ok. Faster than expected.” You said and turned to see Steve grabbing your bags from outside and bringing them into Peggy’s tent. Peggy looked you over and you paused for a second, making sure that you had everything right in your uniform. Bucky’s voice interrupted your thoughts. 

“Remember that your grandparents aren’t seeing each other yet, don’t mention that to either of them.” He said softly into your earpiece. Steve went almost completely silent. Him and Peggy made eye contact from either side of you. Everything felt so silent for what felt like an eternity. 

The silence was broken when Peggy spoke up. “It’s almost lights out, you’ll be staying in the tent beside mine, Steve will show you over there. Meet me in here bright and early and we will talk more.” Peggy said and you turned to grab your bags, but as that Steve already had them. You nodded and wished her a goodnight before walking out of the tent, following Steve to the tent beside hers. 

He set your bags in the tent and your eyes were drawn to the cot and small desk there, assumingly placed there in preparation for you. You were about to thank and dismiss Steve when he stared at you. “I feel like you’re not telling us something.” He said and crossed his arms as he stared down at you. Bucky immediately cut into your com. 

“Tell him the ride was terrible. Or something about being sick… but not like too sick.” You took a breath. 

“My ride here was not good at all. Honestly I feel quite faint after it and I’d really prefer to rest now then stand too much longer. Thank you Captain for helping so much.” You smiled at him kindly and Bucky praised your save. He slowly nodded and smiled a little. 

“Sleep well then. We’ll see you bright and early.” He nodded his head and left the tent, to which you breathed out a deep breath and stood silently and waited for his footsteps to be far enough away to talk to Bucky. 

“I swear he’s onto me. I’m so bad at acting.” You whispered and began to rustle your stuff around so Peggy wouldn’t hear you whisper to Bucky. 

“Personally I think you’re doing great. Also you look great in that, I see why Steve went for a woman in uniform.” Bucky said and you smiled and exhaled out a laugh. 

“Hey, keep the flirting for when I can actually see you… well, actual you, not past you.” You joked and laid your begging across the cot before removing your shoes and jacket before sitting on the bed. “Ok, turn of your little glasses camera, I’m going to change.” You said and the glasses made a little beep. 

“Come visit me before meeting with Peggy. I’m going to brief you on the plans for the next couple days.” Bucky said and you began to change into your sleep dress that you were given. 

“Thanks Buck. Goodnight.” You whispered and climbed onto the cot and sighed, the adrenaline and fear crashing as you were finally able to relax, laying down your head and letting the quiet noises of the camp lull you to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave a comment on your feelings or thought as to where I’m gonna take this ;)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It had been a couple of days of you basically following Peggy around and Bucky hadn’t caught what Steve could’ve changed yet. Pepper had said it should be within this week. You and Bucky had done some messing with documents to give you authorization to oversee the Howling commandos. This meant that you would literally have to communicate with Steve and Bucky which was literally the opposite of what Pepper said, but you realized you couldn’t tell Bucky what was changed if you weren’t around them. 

After the authorization of your change, you were required to meet them all bright and early while they were training. The night before you walked out to Bucky’s hiding shed while the rest of the camp was asleep. He warned you that you couldn’t let past Bucky to get too attached to you. You continued to question him as to why. 

“Y/n, look, we’re about to go on a mission that didn’t end up well and you need to prepare for the fact it will not go successfully and you can not change that. Do not help us on this mission, let Steve control the team and just ‘keep watch’.” Bucky said and you sighed, a bit aggravated at his vagueness as to what was going to happen. Then it hit you like a ton of bricks, this is when Bucky was captured by the Russians. 

“Buck… I could help you though.” You said to him softly after seconds of silence. You stood from the chair by the desk to stand before him and hold his face in your hands gently. “Maybe not stop it from happening, but I could help Steve find you again.” You said as ideas came into your head as to how you could help him. He let out a small sigh and a laugh.

“You’re too much like your grandpa. Fight now, solve later.” He said and paused before he kissed your forehead, which was wrinkled in thought. “If I don’t get captured, I stay human, I die before I can live to meet you, you’re stuck here because I can’t get us back.” You looked at him and let out a sigh, laying your head on his shoulder and looking up at him sadly. “I’ll be in your ear the whole time. Trust me.” He said and held out his hand for you, you gently taking it and intertwine your fingers. 

After a little more briefing, you went back to your tent to sleep, hearing some voices talking as you walked past the soldiers quarters. You paused for a second when you heard your name. You listened closely for a few seconds to realize it was Steve and Bucky. “-I think you’d like her, Buck. She’s not like the other girls you’ve been with at home. I mean, hell, they let her over see our mission for the Alps.” Steve said and you bit your bottom lip as you realized what he was talking about.

“Wow, Buck, even in this timeline Steve’s trying to set me and you up.” You whispered into your earpiece, to which you were only met with soft snores, realizing Bucky probably passed out while you walked back to camp. You rolled your eyes and moved yourself closer to the conversation. 

“We’ll see. Let’s just hope we come back from this mission.” Bucky sighed and Steve clapped a hand on his back. 

“What would make you think we won’t?” Steve smiled at his friend. “I’m with you till the end of the line, and this sure as hell ain’t the end.” You bit your lip and continued your walk past them to your tent. You climbed into your bed and thought about the plan until you fell asleep, dozens of ways you could possibly help Bucky racing through your head until you finally fell asleep.

~~

The next morning, you stood beside Peggy and looked at the men training in the field. Some of them were talking and going over some sort of strategy. Some more were actually doing work outs, there was one who stood further away, practicing his shooting at some targets. Peggy let out a chuckle and pointed to him.

“Sergeant James Barnes,” she gestured to him. As she continued to list them off, you kept your eyes on James. It felt so weird to have your Bucky talking in your ear while simultaneously watching past him. A sudden hand on your shoulder made you jump out of your trance. You turned to see Steve wearing a pair of shades and his uniform. 

"Glad to see you working with us Jane." Steve said and then called out for the soldiers to come over. As soon as they all stood before you, Steve introduced you. "Men, this is agent Jane Harvey, 115th. She will be overseeing our mission today to better help out her men in the 115th. Please, men, don’t be dogs and treat her the way you would treat Agent Carter.” Steve had caught the attention of his men, and if they weren’t staring at you before, they sure were now. 

The captain had went on to brief his team as Peggy pulled you aside to give you some papers you might need on the men. Bucky laughed a bit in your ear when she warned you to watch out for “James Barnes” because he will most definitely try his hand at you. “She’s not wrong.” He muttered through the com and as much as you wanted to laugh, you just nodded along at Peggy.

~~

“Remember how I made you ride the Cyclone at Coney Island?” Bucky said as he stared off at the snowy train tracks leading right over a cavernous, rocky valley. 

“Yeah and I threw up?” Steve stood beside Bucky and stared along with him along the zip line they had secured to the ledge they all currently stood on. 

“This isn’t payback is it?” Bucky asked, a sinking feeling in his stomach at the thought of actually zip lining across that. 

“Why would I do that?” Steve let a small smile cross his face as you called to them over your radio. 

“Could you two stop with the reminiscing and get along with this.” You said. Your view was above them, on the top of the canyon. You are tethered to the ground where you sat with climbing gear strapped to you as per future Bucky’s instruction. As of now you had the future Bucky’s com in one ear and a walkie talkie in your hand to communicate to Steve. “I see the train on its way around the bend.” You called and you heard them get into action. 

You watched everything with bated breath, hearing every gunshot and curse from your seat on the mountain. Then you heard and saw the blast out of the train car, and saw a body dangling from a railing. You pulled off your glasses so Bucky couldn't see what was going on. He immediately started to question you in your ear as you shoved the glasses in your pocket and muted your side of the ear piece. You knew too well, as per your treatments with Bucky that watching this would hurt him way too much. Lord knows this whole trip would probably have to be handled by another therapist with him, you’d probably have to find one of your own after this.

Before Bucky could tell you to, you grabbed your climbing gear and checked your tether before standing at the edge of the cliff. Steve spoke over the walkie talkie, echoing in your ear but the words were staticy and too jumbled around for you to make sense of. You knew Bucky didn’t die here, but you were distracted by the immense pain you felt in your heart for both of them. Your breathing picked up and you clenched your chest as you heard Bucky calling to you over the com to calm down and head to your meeting spot with the rest of the team. You grabbed your bags and moved quickly to your new location. 

~~

You had finished up your briefing with Bucky for the night, finally being able to walk back to your tent. You heard voices once again as you passed the captains quarters, but instead of two, it was just him, talking to himself, putting his gear back on. He muttered something about going out to find Bucky. You glanced quickly through the window to his room and saw not one, but two Steve Rogers. “This is what he changed.” You muttered, hearing Bucky gasp quietly as he got reengaged into what was happening the moment he heard your voice. 

“You need to stop him from going. Wait for future cap to leave then stop him from leaving.” Bucky stated as you watched from around the tents, quickly formulating a plan in your head. As soon as future Steve disappeared, you sprung into action. 

“High school theater don’t fail me now.” You muttered to yourself as you grabbed your water bottle and poured a bit in your eyes and let your mascara fall on your face. You started your brisk walk to meet up with him, letting your body shake as you ‘accidentally’ ran into him. “Oh sorry captain.” You made your voice sound upset the best you could, his hands falling on your shoulders to steady you from the bump. 

“Agent Harvey are you ok?” He asked and glanced over your face as the mascara ran down your face, thank god for old makeup. You tried your best to give him the act of the century. 

“To be honest with you Captain, today really shook me up. It must’ve shook you too…” You trailed off, grabbing his forearm as he moved it from your shoulder. “Penny for your thoughts?” You asked him, gently reaching your hand for his, trying your best to get his mind from what other Steve had said. “How about we sit and talk for a bit, I think it’d help us both.” You muttered to him and turned him back towards his quarters. “This is your chance, give him the flask.” Bucky said into your ear, watching patiently through your glasses.

You had reached into your case and grabbed a small flask you were given by Pepper specifically for this. You handed it to him and he shook his head. “Alcohol doesn’t affect me as much as it used to.” He muttered and pushed it towards you. “I know, it’s not alcohol, but I think it might help you a bit.” You lied through your teeth. He shrugged and took it, not lifting it to his lips yet, but looking to you as he sat on his bed, you sitting beside him. 

“Bucky isn’t dead.” Steve muttered and looked at you as you held your composure and sad look. “No shit Sherlock.” Bucky muttered to himself, probably not realizing he wasn’t muted.

“Cap-“

“You can call me Steve.”

“Steve, denial isn’t good for you. I think you might be thinking too much into this… we both saw him fall off the cliff… no one can survive a fall from that high.” You put your hand on his shoulder, calmingly. 

“I swear, I need to go find him and bring him home.” Steve said and moved to hand you the flask and stand back up. You grabbed his arm and stood with him. 

“Steve, we both know he couldn’t survive that height… you can’t be upset at every death you come across- this is war. I know he was your best friend but he wouldn’t survive that, neither would you.” You handed him back the flask and pushed him back to sit down. “Talk to me, I have some experience with soldiers coming from stressful situations. I might be able to help.” You said and sat back beside him, an arm on his shoulder.

He sighed and spun the flask open, looking at the liquid before lifting it to his lips and taking a gulp. After lowering the flask from his lips his eyebrows furrowed before his whole body slouched forward and fell to the ground. “Oh shit.” You said and got up quickly. 

“Damn even explosions and gunshots couldn’t take him down that fast. Wonder what’s in that flask.” Bucky muttered in your ear piece. 

“It’s a good thing I didn’t decide to drink it. Get our suits set up I’ll get him in bed and give Agent Carter my goodbye letter.” You muttered quietly and quickly moved to pick Steve up, suddenly realizing that he was a lot heavier than his old man counterpart. You groaned as you switched his uniform shirt for his sleep one and picked up all of your items before getting ready to leave. You heard a soft knock on the door and your eyes widened. “That’s not me.” Bucky said in your ear piece. You widened your eyes and quickly undid your tie and undid a few buttons, messing up your hair and uniform quickly moving to the door as you redid your buttons. 

The door opened to show Peggy who looked worried then concerned at you. “Sorry, we both needed a bit of comfort at the end of the day. Nothing too serious. But he’s knocked out.” You said and grabbed your case, swiftly pushing past her. She stood quietly for a moment before following behind you back to your tent.

“I’m not one to judge the way people live their lives but sleeping with your superiors isn’t the best way to-“ you turned to Peggy and quickly handed her your letter. 

“Agent, I admire your intelligence greatly, but you couldn’t be more wrong about this, it’s not me he’s interested in. I was just there to help comfort him over the loss of his best friend.” You shot back at Peggy. “I hope to see you on the other end, but I have to get going back to my troop. I hope you understand.” You said and shook her hand gently before walking away towards the end of camp. She stood still, watching you as you walked away from the camp, before turning to go to her tent for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it’s been a while but I finally got my creative juices flowing- will try to keep updating

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoy this. Just a self indulging Fic about my love of Bucky


End file.
